


Faces of choice

by Meruryan



Category: Discworld - Terry Pratchett
Genre: Gen, Moist is a reluctant superhero who can shapeshift, Shapeshifting, but doesn't fit into it exactly, inspired by bookhobbit's Superdisc!Moist, or maybe it does
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-22
Updated: 2015-05-22
Packaged: 2018-03-31 17:27:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3986593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meruryan/pseuds/Meruryan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Moist and Adora are captured by the villain of the week and temporarily drained of their powers. While they wait for rescue Adora has a chance to truly see Moist without a disguise for the first time. She didn't expect this.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Faces of choice

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Superdisc!: Assorted Reports](https://archiveofourown.org/works/999268) by [bookhobbit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookhobbit/pseuds/bookhobbit). 



> I read bookhobbit's superdisc and was inspired. This was an opportunity to study Moist's dependability on his looks a bit. I love the thought of him as a shapeshifter so much I'd love to write more, but I'm not good at committing like that. I want to, but I probably won't. So, have a short little thing on my favorite conman.

It’s the first time Adora sees Moist without his power. They’re trapped in the dungeon of the villain of the week, temporarily drained of their powers and waiting for a rescue. They’re both too weak to do anything but slump tiredly against the wall. Light streams in from a small window, and Adora sees Moist, in a way, for the first time.

She’s relieved. Against all odds Adora has learned to trust Moist, but it’s not like she could’ve ever been sure before that Moist showed her his real face and not one of his disguises. She had assumed, and trusted, but still, no way to know for sure. But his features are familiarly average. There is, however, something he has hidden all this time.

”I’m… sorry,” Moist says, sounding so very tired. ”I… I didn’t… just, sorry.” Slumped against the wall, he seems to be trying to hide his face. She’s never seen him like this before, in more than one way. For a moment it stings that there is one more layer hidden, but she understands this one too well to be truly angry about it.

Moist’s face is split by a scar. It’s large, and jagged, and very ugly. It disfigures his nose and left brow and runs rampant through all other features, too. If Adora was any judge, Moist’s reaction to having the scar revealed told that there was a nasty memory that went with it. He was ashamed of it. Some scars gave character or flattered. This one was just horrible. There was nothing neat about it, and you could be sure you wouldn’t forget it very quickly after seeing it.

”How did you get it?” Adora valued directness over useless tact. She suspected Moist found it refreshing and appreciated it. He hesitated for a moment before telling her. ”When I was younger, I thought I was invincible. That I knew all the tricks already, was cleverer than anyone. I ended up trusting someone. Got caught. Made it out. Learned a lesson.” He mustered as much Moist-ness as he could and smiled. ”I’m sorry, Spike, but usually I just try not to think of it. It destroys my forgettableness, so I couldn’t leave it anyway. It’s easier to just… pretend.”

That it’s not there. That it didn’t happen, he didn’t fail, that his real face is whole, unsullied, fitting perfectly to the image that is Moist von Lipwig. If Moist didn’t have his powers… If he was normal, Adora is certain he still would’ve been a conman. And the scar would’ve destroyed everything he was. She shudders as she imagines it. You can’t charm people with a face like that, not the way he does, no matter how good you are. And no-one forgets a scar like that. Adora tries to imagine the original wound, and then tries very hard not to imagine the original wound.

Maybe the thought that his life could’ve been destroyed by the scar is too much for Moist to face, so he doesn’t. Pretend. It would’ve been easy, it’s all he ever did anyway. Pretend to be someone else, pretend he knew what he was doing.

Adora saw a sad, tired and damaged man. Why would he have to be that? He didn’t have to. He could choose, so he should be allowed to do so. Who cares what he looked like without the powers? The powers were a part of him. It was his decision. And she would tell him that, somehow. It didn’t matter. This changed nothing, because it was nothing.

”It’s not just pretend, Slick.” Moist looks up and is greeted by a sharp smile. ”It’s not pretend, it’s your face. This… is something else. This is a mask, or something like it. But you’re not pretend. You’re you.”

He understands. She understands, too, and that’s enough.


End file.
